Disability Connection

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News

2013 Gift Guides

Just in Time For the Holiday Shopping Season

We always appreciate the incredible resources that are offered by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
This is one of the resources that is particularly useful around this time of year.

Christopher Reeve Foundation Gift Guide

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation holiday gift guide features a “variety of items for the paralysis community in nine categories based on interests, levels of injury, and creativity.” With something for everyone, the sixth annual gift guide features a wide variety of items for the paralysis community. See the list at http://www.ChristopherReeve.org/GiftGuide

ToysRUs Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids

Also, for nearly two decades, ToysRus has published the annual Toys”R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, an extensive but incredibly easy-to-use resource featuring specially selected toys that “encourage play for children with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities.”
We invite you to check these 2 wonderful resources out and to share them with your community.
News

Leo Seal’s Day of Caring

In the news: Disability Connection would like to thank all of the volunteers who kindly donated their time to help get the new DC office “Up to Snuff” and ready to continue building a connected community from a new location. (700 Pass Rd.)

 

• • •

 

“Mr. Seal was such an influence to this company and was an advocate for education and volunteering, making sure we give back to the community and that is why we are here today to give back to the community,” Hancock Bank Division Manager David Fayard said.

WLOX.com – The News for South Mississippi

 

Blog , Our Heroes

Hero Teammates

“Eric Hernandez dreamed of playing football and scoring a touchdown.

Gateway (Aurora, Colo.) head coach Ashour Peera wanted to help Hernandez fulfill his dream, but he would have to work for it.

“I wanted to help bring his dream to fruition, but I told him he couldn’t play if he didn’t practice with us,” Peera told MaxPreps.”

– via MaxPreps.com

 

Candace Cable Ski
Blog , Our Heroes

Hero Olympians Continue to Give Back

Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

Adaptive Sports with Candace Cable – Handcycling
Meeting Description:
Join us for our Live Better series presented by the Reeve Foundation Paralysis Community:

Adaptive Sports with Candace Cable

TODAY: Handcycling

Join us as Candace Cable talks with Muffy Davis.

Muffy Davis is a 7 time Paralympic Medalist, World Champion, US Ski and SnowBoard Hall of Fame Inductee, ESPY nominee, World Adventurer and mother.  Paralyzed from a ski racing accident when she was just 16, Muffy has not let her disability slow her down or keep her from reaching her dreams.

A graduate of Stanford University, Muffy travels the globe speaking to and teaching people about their potential and how to reach their dreams.  She is a sought after motivational speaker and adventurer, having spoken to companies such as Coca-Cola, Hewlett Packard, Time Warner Cable as well as the World Health Organization, the United Nations and many more.

In 2012, Muffy dominated the London Paralympic Road Cycling events, winning 3 Gold medals, the most of any racer, male or female! It was truly an amazing experience she loves sharing with others.  She is an ambassador for the International Paralympic Committee and US Paralympics.  And just last April was honored with US Paralympics’ 2013 Amazing Mentor Award.

But, of all her adventures, Muffy declares becoming a mother and chasing her 4 year old daughter Elle, is by far the most rewarding and most challenging!

Join us as we discuss staying healthy in our bodies, minds and spirits with adaptive sports activities. Come on this adventure exploring adaptive sports, you won’t be disappointed.

 

If you miss the live event, no worries!

View all our programs on demand here.
Details
Date: Wed, Oct 16, 2013
Time: 04:00 PM EDT
Duration: 1 hour
Host(s): Candace Cable
 Presenter Information
Candace Cable
Candace Cable Portrait
Candace Cable
Candace believes that there were 4 elements that came together in 1975 that gave her, community, purpose, wellness and joy after her spinal cord injury at the age of 21 when she was ready to go of life. They were family, counseling, disabled students service’s office at Long Beach State University and adaptive sports.

Joining with her adapting community to pioneer the sport and equipment of wheelchair racing gave her the title of SuperCrip, a title bestowed on athletes with disabilities in the 70’s and 80’s. She went on to compete in 9 Paralympic Games in 3 sports winning 12 medals as well as compete in the Summer Olympic Games wheelchair racing exhibition on the track in 1984, 1988 and 1992 winning 2 medals.

Candace is an active member in the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation community writing a blog, creating Reeve Health minute videos and as a Reeve Peer Mentor.
 
Karrie Brown Model with Down Syndrome
Blog , News , Our Heroes

Hero Model Follows Dreams

Dreams are beautiful things. You can do most anything that you believe that you can do.

Here is yet another shining star among examples of  bright youngsters with disabilities believing and achieving.

Karrie Brown ABC Yahoo Model for Wet Seal
Good Morning America – Modeling Dream Comes True for Karrie Brown, Girl With Down Syndrome (ABC News)

This is a beautiful story that you will want to share with your friends and family.

Karrie Brown, with the help of her totally awesome Momma, is now on her way to becoming a model.

Full story Via ABC News and Yahoo

“Every day Sue would post a picture of Karrie in her favorite Wet Seal outfits — pieces that Karrie said make her “fit in while standing out” — hoping that they would attract the company’s eye.”

“She immediately caught our attention,” Wet Seal’s Yasmin Ezaby told ABC News. “We then asked our fans to get Karrie’s Facebook page to 10k likes and we would give her the trip of a lifetime. She exceeded this goal in two days.”

In fact, as of Saturday, the page is now up to nearly double that number of “likes.”

Wet Seal honored its pledge and flew Karrie and Sue on an all-expenses paid trip from their home in Collinsville, Ill., to Los Angeles, throwing in a trip to Disneyland along the way.

Although Wet Seal runs an annual model search competition, it was the first time the company had done a special challenge focused on one individual.”

Our Heroes

Hero Director Shares His Story

“When I Walk” is COMING TO THEATERS OCTOBER 25!

“In 2006, 25-year-old Jason DaSilva was on vacation at the beach with family when, suddenly, he fell down. He couldn’t get back up. His legs had stopped working; his disease could no longer be ignored.  Just a few months earlier doctors had told him that he had multiple sclerosis, which could lead to loss of vision and muscle control, as well as a myriad of other complications. Jason tried exercise to help cope, but the problem only worsened. After his dispiriting fall on the beach, he turned to his

Mom, who reminded him that, despite his disease, he was still a fortunate kid who had the opportunity to pursue the things he loved most: art and filmmaking. Jason picked up the camera, turned it on his declining body, and set out on a worldwide journey in search of healing, self-discovery, and love.

An emotional documentary filled with unexpected moments of humor and joy, WHEN I WALK is a life-affirming film driven by a young man’s determination to survive—and to make sense of a devastating disease through the art of cinema.”

Read more at WhenIWalk.com

Visit Jason’s YouTube page to watch more video clips.

Uncategorized

2014 Art Ability Art Fair

ArtAbilityArtFairandShow336Art Ability Fair – A free day of professional art classes for those with disabilities age 8-adult. Pottery, music, photography, art, painting, glamour make-over, dance and more are shared by the Walter Anderson Museum, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, the Mary C O’Keefe Cultural Center and others to include nonprofit agencies, businesses, artists, art teachers, and community volunteers.

This Year’s Event Date:

Thursday, April 10, 2014 8:30 am-2:30 pm Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Rd, Biloxi

This year is a western theme. Please have your staff and students wear western attire such as cowboy hats, neck scarves, vests and such if they have them. We will also have costumes for them to wear for photos. We have a live horse for the videos, but I think it would be fun if we keep this a secret from the kids.

This will be a fun year.  Please contact us if you can volunteer for one of these events, or please let me know if you want to be removed from our volunteer list.

Please let anyone interested in coming to sign up as a volunteer by faxing in the registration form (note “volunteer” and what you want to do) or emailing our office. We need ideas or items to borrow to decorate the Donal Snyder Community Center in Western theme for the Art Fair. We will have an indoor backdrop for western photos and outdoors a live horse for videos. We need Cowboy hats, vests and props to also borrow. Managing is not very easy and one can get tips and advice from experts like Andy Defrancesco.

We need help decorating and setting up Wednesday afternoon around 4:00. We also need help taking down and cleaning at 2:30 Thursday.

The art workshop will be on Thursday, April 10th from 8:30-2:30, the Donal Snyder Community Center, Pass Rd, Biloxi.  Lunch will again be provided.